Mexican champurrado (note the spelling difference) is a velvety smooth and thick chocolate drink made from masa harina, piloncillo, Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla extract and milk. I first tried it when traveling to Mexico City with my partner and have craved it every day since.

Champurrado, according to Gray, has been part of the lexicon of Mexican food since Aztec times. She traces the first writings on atole or champurrado to Francisco Hernandez, a Spanish botanist reporting back to Spain on his findings in Mexico in 1651. There are many different styles of making champurrado and atole.

champurrado (countable and uncountable, plural champurrados) A traditional chocolate-based atole found in Mexico, containing panela, vanilla, anise and cinnamon. A Cuban water-based drink, containing several spices, mixed with rum or brandy.

Champurrado is a type of atole (corn masa drink) with its main characteristic consisting of chocolate. The difference between traditional hot chocolate and champurrado is the use of masa harina (corn flour). Atole is made by toasting masa on a griddle, then adding water that has been boiled with cinnamon sticks.